Cat Blindness Old Age
Recognizing when the end is approaching for your beloved feline will help you make the most loving and compassionate choices for her and for yourself.
Cat blindness old age. Our male cat is now a senior 15 yrs old. She graduated from the university of glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. Cat years to human years.
Over time and with a constant environment that does not change most blind cats will adapt extremely well and live a very happy life. Elliott bvms mrcvs is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. We switched both our cats we also have his sister from the same litter over to a senior formula diet food more than a year ago.
Can cats go blind with old age. My beloved cat samantha who lived to at least 22 she was a young adult when i got her so i am not 100 percent sure of her age never had any eye problems. Many issues in old age can result in vision loss.
Pippa elliott mrcvs veterinarian dr. In a feline s very first year he or she reaches the human age of 15. By a feline s second year he or she is the equivalent of age 24.
Blind cats are easily disoriented and must not be allowed to roam. While cats can live healthy lives into their late teens and even early 20s there comes a time when your pet will begin to decline either due to old age or a progressive or terminal medical issue. Your cat appears lost or confused in a familiar environment which can result in your cat becoming trapped in corners or behind furniture vocalizing in the middle of the night staring at walls or into space difficulty finding their resources food water bowl perch or litter box and may have memory deficits for example forgetting they have been fed and repeatedly requesting more food.
Yet other cats never have an eye problem. He has been showing some stiffness and signs of age but we expected that at his age. A cat which bumps into things may be losing its sight.
A cat blind in one eye is easily startled by sudden movements on his blind side. The old seven year rule is simple but not quite accurate because cats age more rapidly during the first two years of life. Although distressing for both you and your cat this doesn t signal the end of a happy and fulfilling life indeed your cat will get used to the new state of affairs and you can do a great deal to ensure that your cat still has a happy life.
In the last few years he has slowed down and gained weight. With many cats now living into their upper teens and early twenties old age eye problems may become evident in many felines. Blind cats may be able to go outside but only into an enclosed garden as they may otherwise lose their way or be vulnerable to attack by other cats or dogs.
